BlackBerry 10: The eight best apps to download first

If you’ve been seduced by one of BlackBerry’s new handsets – the touchscreen Z10 or its Qwerty companion the X10 – you’ll want to make the most of the new operating system. BlackBerry 10 has launched with 70,000 apps to download. Here’s our pick of which ones to go for first.

For jet setters

FlightAware is a great free app for frequent flyers. Those who travel a lot for business can see whether their flights are going to be on time or delayed. The app also offers notifications of nearby flights for those who need to make a last-minute journey.

For petrol heads

If you can’t wait to get your Formula 1 fix, the official F1 companion for your smartphone is for you. It lets hardcore fans of Vettel, Button, Hamilton et al get live timing and track positioning throughout the entire F1 season, meaning you never have to miss a race or a result, wherever you are. F1 Live Timing 2013 costs £25.

For the snap happy

If you love Instagram, you’re probably going to love this one too. Priced at £4, KVADGroup is aimed both at the amateur and professional photographer, allowing you to play around with the snaps you take on your Z10 or X10’s eight-megapixel camera. There are 115 unique filters and 15 special effects, including Old Style, Vintage, Summer Mood, Sketch, Blur and Art.

For music lovers

This one is great for those who want to tune in to their favourite radio station wherever they are. Similar to Tuneln Radio, Nobex allows you to listen to more than 1,000 radio stations from across the world. You can then share what you’re listening to on your social networks thanks to integration between BBM, Facebook and Twitter. Free from the BlackBerry 10 app store.

For science geeks

Science was never like this at school. Costing £1, this physics based puzzler, previously only available on iOS, is pretty addictive. Stunt Pear is all based around putting on your helmet and catapulting your little pear through various obstacles using various items including canons, bubbles, tires, pinball, skateboards and shopping trolleys to progress through 144 increasingly tougher levels.

For real ale aficionados

Untappd is aimed at the social drinker who loves to try different ales. You can discover the most popular bars and beers in whichever destination you are in, share your beer reviews and enjoy personalised beer suggestions based on your previous selections on this app, which is free to download.

For Angry Birds fans

BlackBerry is being very savvy by getting Rovio on board straight away. Priced at 75p, Angry Birds Star Wars turns our Angry Bird heroes into stars from the movie franchise while the pigs are, of course, Darth Vader style baddies.

For news junkies

The Guardian has been quick off the mark to release a new app custom built for the BB 10 platform. This free official app has been carefully optimised for bigger screens, giving you all the latest news, reviews, sport and images to browse through on your daily commute.